Summerslam 2006: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

This summer I'll be looking back on each of the previous Summerslam events, one by one. Every few days I will submit a new topic until we reach 2014's edition of the 2nd biggest brand in WWE.

This thread will be for discussing.... Summerslam 2006!

Summerslam 2006 took place on August 20, 2006. It was held at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Here are the results of the matches from this show:




0. Carlito defeated Rob Conway in a singles match (04:20)

1. Chavo Guerrero defeated Rey Mysterio in a singles match (10:59)

2. Big Show (c) defeated Sabu in an Extreme Rules match for the ECW World Championship (08:30)

3. Hulk Hogan defeated Randy Orton in a singles match (10:56)

4. Ric Flair defeated Mick Foley (with Melina) in an "I Quit" match (12:47)

5. Batista defeated King Booker (c) (with Queen Sharmell) by disqualification in a singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship (10:30)

6. D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) defeated Vince and Shane McMahon in a tag team match (13:02)

7. Edge (c) (with Lita) defeated John Cena in a singles match for the WWE Championship (15:41)





Now, here are some discussion questions concerning the event:

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

If you could change a few things about Summerslam 2006, what would it be and why?

You may only use wrestlers who were available at the roster at that time or make changes that could have realistically taken place in August 2006. Please keep in mind the situations going into the show such as who could actually have been pushed into a title match, or what songs existed back then if you wanted to change the show's theme music, and so forth.

You may only discuss Summerslam 2006 in this thread. The remaining Summerslam events will be getting their own retrospective threads, any posts regarding other events will be considered spam and you risk getting an infraction.

Discuss!

 

[Wolf Pac]

This Summerslam card looked great on paper but turned out average/ok. It ain't bad but it's not one that I would want to watch again or that I care for to this day like I do most of the other Summerslam's. It's a shame Kurt Angle was hurt and he & the WWE went their seperate ways around this time cause it would've been nice to have seen The Olympic Hero stick around for one more Summerslam. If he could've been on the card, he would've made a better opponent for Big Show in the ECW Title match than Sabu.

Favourite match: Foley vs. Flair. I loved that they built the feud off of their real life heat from when Flair called Foley "a glorified stuntman" in his book, I think Foley also took a shot at Flair in his book. The match was a bloodbath. The only thing that ruined the match is just the finish where Foley quits when Flair threatens to hit Melina with the Barb Wire Baseball Bat. Melina shouldn't have been involved, in fact I hated the whole storyline with Foley and Melina as it acccomplished nothing. Apparently the whole thing was Foley's idea as he states in The Hardcore Diaries, he wanted to get Melina over as a big heel.

Least-Favourite match: Batista vs. Booker. I was actually looking forward to this match at the time after I had heard about both men's real backstage fight at the Summerslam commercial. I shouldn't have been suprised though when they both had a bloody shit match. The two just had terrible chemistry with each other and the finish sucked.

If there's one thing I could change, it would be Orton going over Hogan. Orton's Legend Killer gimmick would've benefited greatly from beating Hogan, it would've been his "Brock Lesnar beating the Streak" moment. Not exactly to that level but it would've been a big moment for Orton and his gimmick no doubt. Of course though, Hogan wouldn't allow it and he only participated in the feud just to promote his daughter's crappy singing career. I believe it was after this that WWE gave Jillian Hall that singing gimmick to mock Brooke, lol.

These matches weren't needed on the PPV but I'll mention them anyway.

A US Title match between Mr. Kennedy, Bobby Lashley & Finlay. Mr. Kennedy would win the US Title from Bobby Lashley and Finlay in a Triple Threat match on Smackdown that week, so they could move that Triple Threat up to Summerslam.

Jeff Hardy returned the next night on Raw, maybe they could've moved his return also to Summerslam and had him face Shelton Benjamin. They announced Hardy's return to Raw at the beginning of the month but they could've had Shelton speak out on the return and talk shit about Jeff each week, saying he doesn't deserve to be in the WWE and his time is over, it's now Benjamin's time etc. and whoever the GM of Raw was at the time, books Hardy vs. Benjamin for Summerslam.

 

[LBGetBack]

Favorite match: Flair-Foley. I loved that feud, the set-up for it being based on real life personal beef, and those are just two of the biggest personalities in wrestling history. Give them a feud where there's real life heat? You know it will be entertaining. The match was very good IMO.

Also LOVED the Melina double cross on Foley on Raw after this. But I hate that it never went anywhere. It seemed she was going to be aligned with Vince after that and really become a top heel, which would've been awesome. Melina was a great heel in 2005-06, and I think she could've gone even further if they had her working with Vince after that.

Least favorite: Orton-Hogan. What a missed opportunity. Absolutely no reason for Hogan to win that match. Not to mention, it was completely unrealistic. Hulk was a broken down old man who could barely move at that point, and Orton was 25-26 years old and already a former world champ? C'mon. Orton should've destroyed him like Brock Lesnar did in 2002, to really put Orton over as THE new top guy(heel-wise). He needed a big win at that point too after losing his feuds to HHH, Undertaker, and then failing to win the title at WrestleMania vs. Rey and Angle.

 

[JJV]

I really didn't like the Taker-Khali feud and their matches were terrible, but since it was the end of their feud and the LMS match on Smackdown wasn't so bad, they could have had that match at Summerslam. The Orton-Hogan match was bad, and it went from bad to worse when Hogan beat Orton. This is how the card should have been:

Rey Mysterio def Chavo Gurrero

Mr Kennedy def Bobby Lashley and Finlay

Ric Flair def Mick Foley

The Undertaker def Khali in a LMS match

Randy Orton def Hulk Hogan

Big Show def Kurt Angle in an extreme rules match (I would have loved to see Angle win the championship and continue his run in ECW before moving to Raw at some point in 2007 or 2008, but unfortunately he left. He could have at least had his last match at Summerslam)

Booker T def Batista

DX def McMahons

Edge def John Cena

 

[The Brain]

I'm a little fuzzy on this SummerSlam. My memory with this one isn't as strong as the previous events. I'd say my favorite match was Ric Flair vs. Mick Foley. Even though both these guys were well past their physical primes the two of them getting together felt like a big deal.

My least favorite match was Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Orton. It's not because I think Orton should have gone over. I don't really care about that. It was because the feud itself sucked. This could have been good. This should have been good. It started off good. It quickly turned bad. At first Orton was targeting Hogan's daughter Brooke. Obviously this didn't sit well with the Hulkster and we had the start of a decent story. Legend vs. Legend Killer with the evil heel using the young princess to gain a psychological advantage. It all seemed fine but Brooke didn't stick around to complete the angle and at one point it looked like Hogan was going to back out of the match. Remember when he supposedly hurt his knee while moving a couch? That just killed the momentum of the entire angle. There was no buzz for this match going into SummerSlam. Brooke didn't even show up for the event. I think she appeared at some MTV kids award show or something. If she wasn't available for SummerSlam she shouldn't have been involved in the first place. The very beginning of the angle was good but after that the whole thing sucked, including the match.

I agree Undertaker should have wrestled Khali at SummerSlam. Khali was pretty green and not the best in the ring but Taker could have easily carried him in a big man brawl. This was a big angle and it deserved to be on the ppv. This was the first SummerSlam Taker missed since 1991 which is a shame since he was active and healthy enough to be there.

 

[Cub McCallister]

This was another average Summerslam for wwe and some changes should be made tbh, the changes I would have will be:

1) Bobby Lashley (C) Vs Finley Vs Mr Kennedy
Triple Threat United States Title Match. Good opener with Kennedy getting the win.

2) Big Show (C) Vs Kurt Angle
Ecw Title Math. Have this match instead and big show can knock off another ledgend in the ring and then have Angle leave the wwe

3) Ric Flair Vs Mick Foley
Stays the same.

4) Rey Mysterio Vs Chavo Guerrero
Last Man Standing Match. Make this with a stipulation and then have the I quit match at No Mercy.

5) Jonny Nitro (C) Vs Shelton Benjamin
Intercontinetal Title Match. Nice filler with Nitro retaining the title and claiming he's the greatest IC champ of all time.

6) DX Vs Th Mcmahons
Stays the same.

7) Booker T (C) Vs Batista
Stays the same.

8) Hulk Hogan Vs Randy Ortan
Stays the same with Ortan going over cleanly this time.

9) Edge (C) Vs Rob Van Dam Vs John Cena
Wwe Title Triple Threat Match. Have this instead and have Edge retain the title and then have Jeff Hardy come out and attack him.

That's my card there are two more matches added to the card which takes it to 9 so there may not be enough time for most matches but this card looks better.

 

[Pedigree1]

Definitely the buildup was awesome it looked promising.. But it turned into well shit IMO.. Not the worse Summerslam but probably the worse in terms of what could have been..

The only saving grace was Mick Foley vs Ric Flair.. What a battle those two had.. The ending was weird Flair charging at Melina,then Foley quits.. Awesome match though..

I would have had Orton go over Hogan didnt need the rub at all.. In fact didn't this all start after Orton was stalking Brooke??? I guess Hogan didn't like that idea,and in fact Brooke quit or left halfway through the feud.. That just killed all the momentum right then and there.. Even the match could have been good,but it sucked! P.S. Orton needed this win,beating Taker at the previous summerslam and beating Hogan would have been up there..

The Boretista and Booker T match just sucked.. Sometimes you just get that,two guys with shit chemistry and the match is just painful to watch... I wish i would have witnessed the backstage fight,as it seems that was the only real chemistry those two had.

Why not take Sabu out of the ECW match and throw in Khali.. Khali was still pretty green back then,and Big Show could have taken care of him.. That would have been a pretty decent match

 

[FlairFan2003]

I didn't have a problem with Hogan going over Orton.... One, although Orton was well established by this time, Hogan was HULK HOGAN....you don't bring him back for one of the marquee events all year just so he can lose!!! Now, if Hogan was around for awhile, these two had a long feud, I can see giving a win to Orton. That wasn't the case here though, plus it added to Orton's heel character that he while he called himself "The Legend Killer" he actually never really killed any legends except for a handful or retired guys who hadn't wrestled in many years, against active legends his record wasn't that good. This match benefitted him, and in fact set him on an even more aggressive gimmick afterwards.

DX vs McMahon's was the typical Vince gets his match that we all love to see, Vince tortured these guys for months and they got their revenge. Not every match has to be a 5 star classic to be entertaining and please the fans.

Foley vs Flair was very good; It was short, but given the level of brutality that was believable. I didn't have a problem with the ending either, it salvaged some goodwill with Foley and the audience as he had mostly been the heel/real jerk in this feud up until this point. It also set up the Melina double cross the next night on RAW that was supposed to elevate her to the next level (and explain Foley's absence). Likewise the match was vintage Flair from his 80s heyday, ruthless..."This is an I Quit Match, not a lay down on your ass match" quote was priceless, and vintage Ric Flair wouldn't hesitate to use a woman, especially a nemesis, to gain an unfair advantage over an opponent.

The rest of the card seemed anti climatic although I still believe that Edge-Cena will be talked about years from now as one of those iconic fueds, like Rock-Austin, Hart-HBK, Flair-Rhodes, Hogan-Savage, the chemistry between their characters on the mic and in the ring was off the charts and the clearly brought out the best in each other. 2006 was a great year for Edge finally becoming a legit main eventer and a very entertaining heel, this rivalry, which ran most of the year, was probably the best in WWE that year and had a huge impact on both careers. This wasn't their best match but it was good and the overall feud was great.

If there was one thing I would have changed, I would have found a place for Undertaker. He was still wrestling a near full time schedule (more than Flair & HBK were at this point) and an event of this magnitude would have benefitted from his presence in a marquee undercard match.

 

[Judah's Lion]

this is a really weird SummerSlam for me. there are very few things that i remember from a positive standpoint. lots of talent available for this, the second biggest ppv of the year, and many of which that were left off the entire card. go figure. tons of changes, some major and some minor. you be the judge. keep in mind that i love gimmick matches, especially for personal feuds and on major stages.

IC Title Match: Johnny Nitro vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Carlito. Jeff Hardy had just returned before this event. have him open the card for his big return match. i like the additions of Benjamin and Carlito since i like having as many guys possible on the card, but this could be Nitro vs. Hardy one-on-one i guess. really, just have Hardy return and fight for the IC Title to open the show. maybe a Ladder Match? add two more guys to give it that marquee match feel. so add RVD and Sabu. almost like a MITB Match, only for the IC Title instead of a title contract.

Mysterio vs. Guerrero was great. the only change i'd make is to have this be their "I Quit" Match that we got on Smackdown around this time. this was a very personal feud and needed that kind of stipulation to take it to that next level. Mysterio "quitting" would be a big moment and a bit of a swerve. keep it as is.

Foley vs. Flair. this was the highlight of the night, but the match itself ended kinda flat for me. i'd make this a Last Man Standing Match instead of an "I Quit" Match. for one thing, i'm arm-chair-booking Guerrero/Mysterio with that stipulation instead. in their TNA years, Foley and Flair had a Last Man Standing Match on Impact that surprisingly delivered really well. loved that match and that finish much more than what we got here. so that's how i'd do it this time around.

DX vs. McMahons and Big Show; Hell in a Cell. i know that i am in the vast minority, but i really enjoyed this feud from before the Royal Rumble all the way thru beyond SummerSlam. Vince and Shawn started their rivalry, had a fun brawl at Mania, then added the different pieces with Hunter and the Spirit Squad, etc. their Hell in a Cell Match that we got (i think at Unforgiven the next month) was so much fun. i've got that match on dvd and go back to it often. even my non-wrestling-fan wife likes it. as gross as it is, she loves Vince kissing Big Show's ass, especially after i explained the ENTIRE feud to her. it was so fitting. i'd do that here instead of on a lesser ppv.

Hogan vs. Orton was fine. as others have stated, the build up was pretty unimpressive and the match was lacking. some have complained about the finish, stating that Orton should have gone over cleanly. Orton, in years past and yet-to-come, had beaten such legends as Foley, HBK, Flair, Taker, Dusty Rhodes and many others in either one off matches or drawn out feuds. Hogan at SummerSlam would have been a huge feather in his cap. i'd probably do the build up without Brooke and simplify the story... Legend vs. Legend Killer. i think Orton was undefeated at SummerSlam up to this point. Hogan for sure is. streak vs. streak. and yeah, probably have Orton go over.

please forgive the oddness of this next one, but i'd do a Triple Threat Match for the World Title. Taker vs. Batista vs. King Booker. Taker could have the match won and King Booker could steal the pin. i just really hate World Title Matches at major pay per views ending in dq. makes me crazy. stealing the win is pretty rough when overdone also, but this would have fit. Batista can continue his feud with King Booker, saying that King Booker couldn't beat him one-on-one, and Taker/Batista can still be set up for Mania 23 the next year. full circle.

Edge vs. Cena was fine for what it was. i really hated this feud. i know that's blasphemous. it supposedly made Edge's career and solidified him as a main event star. it's hard to argue. my biggest and honestly only complaint is that Edge never got a real win over Cena. it was always after major interference, cheating, dq, etc. why couldn't Edge EVER get one clean win? here, on this stage, in Cena's hometown would have been HUGE!! make this match a Street Fight, and have Edge spear Cena for the win. after being brutalized in a Street Fight, it wouldn't hurt Cena's credibility one bit. but it would have given Edge that one big win, that he didn't really have prior in this feud.

i'm sad that Angle wasn't on this card, but he was on his way out to TNA around this time. in a perfect world, i'd give him that one last big match. i'd even let him win, or decide, if he wanted, to put someone over on his way out. maybe against Lashley for the US Title? Angle is the Olympic Hero, so one last match for the US Title makes sense. and it'd give Lashley a great rub on his way up.